Headfirst (Part One)
by Coffee-And-Valentines
Summary: An AU of Mass Effect 1 that takes place in modern day USA. Shepard and a band of high school rebels fight to take down Saren, a violent and malicious character with a terrifying plan. Along the way the Normandy crew finds secrets much bigger than Presidium HS. A LiaraT'soni x FemShep story, featuring Jane Shepard. Note; All alien characters will be given a human makeover.
1. Chapter 1

There was nothing particularly special about Jane Shepard.

At least she didn't think so.

Jane was pretty average, in her mind.

Until the day she met Saren and Sovereign Arterius.

* * *

Jane woke up when she fell off the couch, her head hitting first with a sickening crack followed by a flustered moan. Jane rubbed her head, praying that it would not bruise or swell. Her fall shook the rest of the bus, and the vehicle rocked on it's wheels.

Jane stared around her home, the old school bus had been modified by her best friend, Joker. The bus was now large and roomy, there were two rooms, each holding a set of bunk beds. A bathroom, a kitchenette with only a microwave and fridge (but really what else would two teenagers need?), a fold out couch with a TV set mounted adjacent, and a dinette. Joker was a carpenter of the trade, and Jane always gave him props for that.

Jane rubbed her temples, cursing her descent onto the cold carpet and shuffled to her feet. She glanced over at the digital clock, and groaned at her grossly early awakening.

On the first day of Jane Shepard's senior year of high school, she woke up on the floor with a gruesome hangover and no sign of her only companion.

Jane peeked out one of the many windows and only saw the 4:30 am darkness that covered Denver Colorado.

Jane sulked around the cabin, drank three glasses of water and finally stepped out of the bus to find Joker kneeling by one of the bus tires.

The bus was a true beauty, all black besides the white and red strips on the hood and sides. The bus' nickname had been painted by Joker himself in large white letters.

"Joker?" Jane approached the slouched over 19 year old.

Joker stood and smiled. "Well good morning sunshine! Did you get your beauty sleep?"

Jane laughed and stood next to him.

Joker made a hissing noise between his teeth, "Ohhhhh, guess not, that's an attractive shiner there!"

Jane rubbed the bump on her head that was most definitely swollen. "Great. So is there something wrong with Normandy, Joker?"

"Nah," Joker took his time and stood, but Shepard didn't even offer him assistance knowing that he would refuse it. Joker limped back towards the bus, struggling up the stairs.

Joker was always so lively and happy, Jane often forgot about the disease he carried with him, brittle bones and a bad sense of humor.

"So why the hell are you out here at 4:30 in the morning checking out her tires? There's not something going on between you and the bus is there Joker?"

Joker snorted and seated himself in the driver's seat. Shepard sat back on the couch and snickered at him.

"No, Shepard, I just got a raise at work, and I'm gonna buy her some badass tires!"

"Joker, you spend every penny you have on this bus. And didn't you just upgrade the tires last year?"

"Sure, but I got to keep on it, I didn't do all of the work I did to this bus so that we could blow a tire going 80 on the highway."

It was true, Joker had been working on making the fastest, most badass school bus he could since they had first met. That had been over six years ago, and now here Shepard was, living in the beautiful Normandy with her best bud, and they could easily get the large sized beast to hit 100 miles per hour. Joker was a damn good mechanic, and a damn good speed driver.

"Well Shepard, what are you going to do before your first day back in hell?" Joker inquired as he started the bus, Normandy's engine roaring to life.


	2. Chapter 2

Shepard smoked out of the bus window, the comfort of nicotine soothing her headache.

"So Shepard, first day of your senior year, what are your thoughts?" Joker called from the driver's seat, mimicking a news anchor.

Shepard snorted, "Ready for it to be over."

"Well you sound like me as a senior already." Joker opened the bus door and it screeched to a halt in front of Presidium High School. "Well good luck out there Shepard."

Joker and Shepard had been best friends for what seemed like forever but had really only been four years, and Shepard was jealous as hell that her BFF had graduated a year earlier than herself.

Shepard nodded and grabbed her backpack off the dinette, jogging out of the bus but stopping as she watched the crowds of public high school students flood past her. She took another drag on her cigarette, and threw the crutch down on the ground, stamping it to a pulp before charging towards the battle field.

Jane never thought she was anything special.

Her hair was a dull red, and her eyes an odd green that she simply had no words for describing. Her cheeks were covered in freckles and she had strong athletic build. She abided by a strict skater-punk style of band shirts, skinny jeans and knee high boots adorned by dark makeup, and achieved average grades.

There was nothing really special, Jane was just, Jane.

Shepard paced down the hall towards her homeroom class when a hand lightly touched her shoulder. Jane spun around and found a friendly face staring down at her.

"Kaiden?"

"Shepard!" Kaiden smiled and another humble face peered around the corner.

"Hey there!" Jenkins smirked and the three walked together in a line. Jenkins tossed his water bottle up in the air and caught it repeatedly, smirking as jocks passed and laughed.

Kaiden and Jenkins both were tall and skinny, the brothers were never separate and looked almost completely identical. Both bore large brown eyes, short black hair and intensely square jaws. While Jenkins features were lighter, Kaiden's were bold and sharp.

"So Shepard, Homeroom with Eden?" Kaiden inquired and smiled a perfect white smile. A black beanie covered his head and a skater outdo much like Shepard's adorned both himself and his brother.

"Yep. God I hate that guy. Everyone else thinks that he's so nice and so hot but holy shit I want to shoot myself in his lectures." Shepard sighed and hiked her backpack up on her shoulders.

"Mr. Eden isn't that bad Shep, there's alot of teachers that are way worse. I just hope homeroom goes by fast, I want to see what kind of shit I can get away with." Jenkins said quickly, almost loosing his breath in his excitement. Jenkins had a tendency to ditch class and spray paint the schools exterior, or smoke in the bathrooms during passing period.

Honestly, trouble was something that the entire squad loved with a passion.

"I seriously hope you're joking Jenkins!" A new voice suddenly boomed from Jenkin's side. Chakwas, Jenkins' sister, was standing beside him with her chest out and her head high. For a 17 year old she held her head too high and spoke with too much wisdom. The girl had dyed her hair grey, and although it perfectly accentuated the skater appearance she also wore, it also made her look way older than she was.

"What you call fun usually gets you in trouble! Then I have to explain your dumbassery to mom and dad." Chakwas huffed and stared at her brother.

"Yeah Jenkins, relax! You'll have your fun when the time comes, just chill out." Shepard said.

Shepard usually backed Chakwas, just because she liked her, although she herself thought that a good fight and a good smoke were always in favor.

"I'm sorry, I'm just excited. This is our senior year! The real deal senior year!" Jenkins chattered with excitement and Chakwas rolled her eyes.

"Its not different from any other year Jenkins, not really at least." Jane saw movement out of the corner of her eye, the group stopped in the hallways next to Mr. Eden's room.

The movement followed them, and Shepard looked over to see a slinky, scrawny boy lurk towards them. He had eyes that were such a fierce green Shepard thought he could see right through her skin. The boy adorned huge square glasses and was dressed like the typical mathlete. A large blue ribbon was tied to his wrist, which could only mean one thing. The boy was a Spectre, and that usually meant Jane was somehow in trouble.

The Spectre program was honestly a dumb idea gone too far. Students were appointed by the school board to watch over their schools, and report problems to the school board. It was basically an easy way to give nerds and dorks authority, and a dumb way to make everyone hate them even more. Shepard had come into contacts with a handful of Spectres before, all of whom sent her to the office for smoking in the bathroom or drinking on the football field.

The boy came closer and everyone in Shepard's squad stopped and stared.

"Jane Shepard." The boy stood very still and stared through Jane. "May I have a moment of your time? Mr. Anderson would like to speak to you."

Shepard sighed and nodded; her friends watching as she shuffled away with the odd boy. Jane slouched her shoulders and internally screamed. It was her first day back at school, and already the assistant principal was up her ass.

Jane liked the assistant principal, Mr. Anderson, besides the fact that he somehow always knew about Shepard's shenanigans and wrong doings, all of which usually resulted in detention or a stern lecture.

The bell rang and the hallways cleared out quickly, leaving Shepard and the boy alone.

"Shepard, my name is Nihlus. I'm a Spectre." Nihlus waited, and Shepard ignored him, refusing to reply to an enemy as dominate as Nihlus. "So, Shepard, do you know why Anderson is requesting to see you?"

Shepard shook her head.

"Ah, Well, I kind of wanted to talk to you first anyways."

"What do you mean? What would a Spectre want from a little dirtbag like me?" Shepard smirked a nicotine smile.

"Everything. The school board has given me some very sensitive information. Odd happenings at schools around the Denver area. We need more eyes, more hands, and that's why we need people like you. We don't expect you to stop your ways, but doing things like smoking pot in the gym and spray painting dumpsters in minimal compared to the task that we are dealing with at the moment."

Shepard gawked at him.

"There is no way in hell I am joining your prissy little group of tattle tales Nihlus."

"We need camouflage Jane. No blue ribbons, not the group of nerds and artists we have. We need little 'dirtbags' like yourself. You know all of the shady things. The Spectre we have now are in the dark, we have to play by the rules too, so how could we know the details?" Nihlus opened the door the office and escorted her to Andersons office. They both walked through the door.

"There's no way I'm going to snitch out my squad!" Shepard sneered and felt her face wrinkle in anger at even the suggestion.

"Well I see you two have already spoken. Its about time we tell Shepard what's really going on. No snitching Shepard, not for what you are thinking." Anderson stood, towering above both of the seniors. A frown was fixed to his face, and a certain darkness turned in his eyes.

"What's this about sir?" Jane crossed her arms and leaned against the back of the office chair, glaring at Nihlus.

"We need you to join the Spectres Shepard."

"Sir! That completely ridiculous! Spectres are bastard goody goodies, that not me-" Shepard raised a brow," And you know it."

Anderson groaned and gestures to Nihlus.

"Shepard, for the last time this isn't about ratting out your friends for the petty things that we already know you do. We don't care." Nihlus said with a certain unsettling calmness that only fueled Shepard's fire.

Shepard opened her mouth and Anderson put his hand up to stop her.

"This is bigger than potheads and vandalism Shepard. This is big, Jane. Just listen to us, will you?" Anderson sat down and gestured to the chair in front of his desk.

Shepard took a deep breath in attempt to calm herself, and sat.

"Tell me what you have." Shepard grumbled.

"What we think we know, is that there is a new drug going around. We've seen it in summer schools near our area. This isn't any ordinary drug, not the kind that the users want to take either." Anderson paused, and Shepard gave him her full attention, "This drug, is very dangerous. That's pretty much all we know, but its more than an ordinary drug. The users are usually unaware that they have taken it, its slipped into water bottles or drinks in concession stands at athletic events. The drug is so neurologically damaging that the user usually dies from ingestion."

Shepard's mouth fell open. Sure, she liked getting high and the occasional drink. But she'd always hated the thought of people who drug other people's drink, and in this case it wasn't just a party drug or rape drug, it was actual murder.

Shepard's squad consisted of frequent party goers, she herself was a party hound. There was a possibility that without Anderson's information she could have encountered it.

"That's horrifying..." Shepard looked at the ground and shook her head.

"There are a few who live through the drug, but those who do are mentally damaged beyond repair." Anderson claimed solemnly.

Shepard looked up at the older man, "What do you want me to do?"

"Join the Spectres, you don't have to act the act or play the part, that actually the opposite of what we need you to do. We know you have all the connections in the school, all of the resources. Nihlus can give you the information we have. But we just want you to do what you do Shepard. Party, cause havoc, whatever, just find out who is making and selling this drug so that we can stop them!" Anderson pounded on the desk to prove his point.

Shepard nodded, rolling the information around in her head.

"Can I have a day sir, just to think over and consider this?" Jane looked up and the man nodded.

"Take her back to class Nihlus."

* * *

Jane walked through the door and plopped down in her seat. Kaiden was whispering to a girl nest to him; she looked like Kaiden's type, old school punk with a new age skater twist. If anything she looked like a great addition to the squad.

Jane looked over and the girl met her gaze.

"Shepard, this is Ashley, she's a freshmen."

Shepard smiled at the attractive girl and waved ever so slightly.

"Jane, do you know who those guys are?" Kaiden inquired with a slight nod.

Jane looked towards kaiden's nod. A group of a boy and two girls were sitting in the corner. They were dressed in full suits and wore extremely dark sunglasses.

"Suits?" Ashley snorted, "Haven't seen a suit in a public highschool since 1980..."

The squad chuckled and the teacher scolded them sharply.

"Odd." Shepard whispered, " Maybe its a new clique arising."

"Quiet an odd clique to rise, thought the suit style was dead."

Ashley shrugged.

"Hey Alenko, think you can keep a secret?" Jane leaned over to talk to her companion.

"Sure Shepard whats up?"

"You'll never believe what Anderson told me today."

* * *

"Jesus Shepard, that's awful! Who would do that?" Kaiden's jaw dropped, "You're going to help them right?"

"I mean yeah, I kind of have too. Gotta keep our parties safe around here. There's no way I'll pass it up. I'm going to talk to him right after school today."

"Good."

Shepard nodded, an exchange across the room caught her eye. One of the suits was conversing, the first time any of them had seemed to move all day. A girl with blonde hair was whispering to... was that a nerd?

A nerdy boy with silver looking hair and chilling blue eyes whispered to the suit, the oddest conversation seemed to be blossoming between them. The bell rang and the haze of students caused Shepard to loose sight of the group. Shepard hiked her backpack up on her shoulder, and her squad trailed into the hallway.

"Did you see that?" Shepard looked at Jenkins, his water bottle again flying in the air as he caught it. Jenkins stopped the throwing to open the lid.

"See what?" Jenkins asked.

"Those odd suit kids, talking to that one nerd? It was just.. odd.. I don't know how to describe it."

"Nope, I didn't see it. But those kids were weird, suits? In this day and age? Odd stuff if you ask me." Jenkins brought the water bottle to his lips.

Jane pondered the weird occurrence.

Seemed this year wouldn't be as average as she'd expected.

Suddenly Jenkins stopped walking. Jane stopped and looked at him. Kaiden and Ashley doing the same.

Jenkins had an odd expression on his face, and suddenly he was thrown into a coughing fit; the boy's eyes rolled into the back of his head, and he fell onto the tile.

"Jenkins!" Shepard ran to the boy and tried to pull him up. "Ashley - get help NOW!"

Kaiden ran to his brother.

"Oh shit, oh shit, Jenkins." Kaiden called out, and by now a crowd had formed around them.

Shepard rolled the boy over onto his back. The boy's eyes were glossed over, and an electric blue tint spread over his lips. Shepard felt for a pulse, for anything, in an attempt to wake the boy up; but her was already gone.

Shepard stood, next the boy's side his water poured onto the floor. The same electric blue covering the white tile.


End file.
